Buccaneers swing deal with Commanders, select Reuben Bain Jr. at No. 7
By Tom Fornelli Apr 15, 2026 at 8:06 am ET • 1 min read 
Getty Images My final mock draft before the real thing is also the most trade-heavy mock I've had so far. Typically, when it comes to my final mock, I go with the "last and best guess" approach. That's what I'm doing here, except there's one problem I can't overcome.
I genuinely have no idea what will happen next week. More so than normal, I mean. I've long been on the record with my opinion that this class is weak overall, and that leads to all sorts of possible outcomes. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the mocks you've been reading these last couple of months are way off. With so few "no duh" options out there, we could see a number of players nobody expected to go in the first round do so.
We could also see teams get fast and loose with trades because they're willing to move up to grab one of the few guys they feel strongly about. Thursday night's first round could be a whirlwind. Or it could be extremely boring.
I'm leaning toward teams making moves to get guys they feel good about, and that's reflected below.
2026 NFL Draft rumors: Cowboys pursuing defense if they trade up, latest on Aaron Rodgers Brad Crawford
NFL Mock DraftRound 1 Round 1 - Pick 1 
Fernando Mendoza QB Indiana • Jr • 6'5" / 236 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st PAYDS 3535 RUYDS 276 INTS 6 TDS 48 The Raiders taking Mendoza with the first pick is the only certainty of this draft. Round 1 - Pick 2 
Arvell Reese EDGE Ohio State • Jr • 6'4" / 243 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 2nd Not a certainty by any stretch, but this has been my projected pick throughout the entire process, and I see no reason to deviate from it now. Round 1 - Pick 3 
Francis Mauigoa OT Miami (Fla.) • Jr • 6'6" / 329 lbs Projected Team Arizona PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 4th I've had the Cardinals trade down the last couple of mocks, but it's probably more likely they stick here. If they do, drafting a tackle to improve the offensive line for whomever the QB of the future is makes sense. Round 1 - Pick 4 
David Bailey EDGE Texas Tech • Sr • 6'4" / 250 lbs Projected Team Tennessee PROSPECT RNK 20th POSITION RNK 3rd I've had the Titans take Jeremiyah Love here most of the winter, but that was because a top edge rusher like Bailey wasn't available to them in prior mocks. Round 1 - Pick 5 
Sonny Styles LB Ohio State • Sr • 6'5" / 243 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Giants PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 1st The closer we get to the real thing, the more smoke there is about the Giants and Styles. Maybe it's a misdirect, or maybe it's just that the Giants really like Styles. Round 1 - Pick 6 
Carnell Tate WR Ohio State • Jr • 6'2" / 192 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 18th POSITION RNK 3rd REC 51 REYDS 875 YDS/REC 17.2 TDS 9 Nobody knows who Cleveland's QB will be yet, but the Browns could use somebody to throw to, and Tate makes plenty of sense. Mock Trade from Washington Commanders Round 1 - Pick 7 
Rueben Bain Jr. EDGE Miami (Fla.) • Jr • 6'2" / 263 lbs Projected Team Tampa Bay PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st Now the phones begin ringing. Washington could take Bain here, but with only two top-100 picks and only six overall, the Commanders move down to acquire more. Meanwhile, the Bucs move up to get the pass rusher they desire in Bain. Round 1 - Pick 8 
Mansoor Delane CB LSU • Sr • 6'0" / 187 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 3rd Delane does not leave the state of Louisiana as the Saints add the best corner in the class to their defense. Mock Trade from Kansas City Chiefs Round 1 - Pick 9 
Jeremiyah Love RB Notre Dame • Jr • 6'0" / 214 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 1st RUYDS 1372 YDS/ATT 6.9 REYDS 280 TDS 21 Love may not go fourth overall, but his slide ends here. The Vikings have a need at running back and nine picks in this draft. Rather than sitting back and hoping he falls, they get aggressive and snap him up. Round 1 - Pick 10 
Caleb Downs S Ohio State • Jr • 6'0" / 205 lbs Projected Team Cincinnati PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 1st The top pass rushers are off the board, so Cincinnati grabs the best defensive prospect left in the class to help out a defense that needs all the help it can get. Round 1 - Pick 11 
Monroe Freeling OT Georgia • Jr • 6'7" / 315 lbs Projected Team Miami PROSPECT RNK 25th POSITION RNK 5th It's hard to know exactly what Miami will do with new people in charge, but I love the value of Freeling for the Dolphins here. Round 1 - Pick 12 
Jermod McCoy CB Tennessee • Jr • 6'1" / 188 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 1st The closer we get to the draft, the less fears there seem to be among teams about McCoy missing the 2025 season with an ACL. The Cowboys take a chance on a player who could prove to be a lockdown corner. From Atlanta Falcons Round 1 - Pick 13 
Makai Lemon WR USC • Jr • 5'11" / 192 lbs Projected Team L.A. Rams PROSPECT RNK 17th POSITION RNK 2nd REC 79 REYDS 1156 YDS/REC 14.6 TDS 13 Shortly after my last mock was posted, it was announced that Puka Nacua was entering rehab. That only solidifies my feeling that the Rams will go WR at this spot. They get my favorite one in the class. Round 1 - Pick 14 
Kenyon Sadiq TE Oregon • Jr • 6'3" / 241 lbs Projected Team Baltimore PROSPECT RNK 24th POSITION RNK 1st REC 51 REYDS 560 YDS/REC 11 TDS 8 For the first time this century (give or take), I have the Ravens going with somebody other than Ola Ioane. Mark Andrews isn't getting any younger, and Lamar Jackson seems to prefer throwing to tight ends over receivers. Sadiq is a receiver in a tight end's body, so perhaps this is fate. Mock Trade from Tampa Bay Buccaneers Round 1 - Pick 15 
Akheem Mesidor EDGE Miami (Fla.) • Sr • 6'3" / 259 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 30th POSITION RNK 4th After moving down, the Commanders still end up getting a Miami Hurricane to help their pass rush. Mock Trade from New York Jets Round 1 - Pick 16 
Spencer Fano OT Utah • Jr • 6'6" / 311 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd With only a couple of tackles off the board, the Texans decide it's time to strike, as the cost of moving up to get Fano is cheaper than they would've anticipated only hours before. Round 1 - Pick 17 
Blake Miller OT Clemson • Sr • 6'7" / 317 lbs Projected Team Detroit PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 2nd I'm a big fan of Miller and believe the Lions could put him at RT and move Penei Sewell to the left, or they could put Miller on the left. He played RT at Clemson, but I think he's got the ability to protect Jared Goff's blindside. Mock Trade from Minnesota Vikings Round 1 - Pick 18 
Jordyn Tyson WR Arizona State • Jr • 6'2" / 203 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 23rd POSITION RNK 5th REC 61 REYDS 711 YDS/REC 11.7 TDS 9 After moving down from No. 9, the Chiefs are still able to land a WR who can be a difference-maker in Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson. Round 1 - Pick 19 
Kadyn Proctor OT Alabama • Jr • 6'7" / 352 lbs Projected Team Carolina PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st With Ickey Ekwonu rupturing his patellar tendon in the playoffs last season, there's no telling when he'll be back. So the Panthers take a potential replacement for him. From Green Bay Packers Round 1 - Pick 20 
Keldric Faulk EDGE Auburn • Jr • 6'6" / 276 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 34th POSITION RNK 6th Faulk is a beauty in the eye of the beholder prospect. His production at Auburn wasn't fantastic, but he looks the part of a guy who can be a strong pass rusher at the NFL level. The Cowboys are willing to bet on the potential. Round 1 - Pick 21 
Olaivavega Ioane IOL Penn State • Jr • 6'4" / 323 lbs Projected Team Pittsburgh PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 1st Ioane can stop looking at Zillow listings in Baltimore, but he says within the division, as the Steelers solidify the interior of their offensive line. Round 1 - Pick 22 
Kayden McDonald DL Ohio State • Jr • 6'2" / 326 lbs Projected Team L.A. Chargers PROSPECT RNK 32nd POSITION RNK 3rd The Chargers could use a big body on the interior of their defensive line, and while I don't know what McDonald will give you as a pass rusher, I know he's going to help the run defense considerably. Round 1 - Pick 23 
T.J. Parker EDGE Clemson • Jr • 6'4" / 263 lbs Projected Team Philadelphia PROSPECT RNK 50th POSITION RNK 7th I could see the Eagles going with an offensive tackle at this spot, but this team's best days came when it had roughly a trillion defensive linemen to throw at opponents over the course of a game, so they add another one here. From Jacksonville Jaguars Round 1 - Pick 24 
Caleb Lomu OT Utah • Soph • 6'6" / 308 lbs Projected Team Cleveland PROSPECT RNK 13th POSITION RNK 3rd The Browns are going to head into the second round with a WR and an offensive lineman of some sort in the fold. Who they are, and what order they take them, I don't know. What I know is I like Lomu quite a bit. Round 1 - Pick 25 
Dillon Thieneman S Oregon • Soph • 6'0" / 201 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 38th POSITION RNK 3rd The Bears have addressed a lot of needs on their defense this offseason, but there are still question marks at safety and in the pass rush. The top edge rushers are gone. The top safety isn't, until now. Mock Trade from Buffalo Bills Round 1 - Pick 26 
Omar Cooper Jr. WR Indiana • Jr • 6'0" / 199 lbs Projected Team Las Vegas PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 4th REC 69 REYDS 937 YDS/REC 13.6 TDS 14 Surprise! The Raiders are back! The Bills only have two top 100 picks, so they drop into the early second round, while the Raiders pair Fernando Mendoza with his Indiana teammate. Round 1 - Pick 27 
Zion Young EDGE Missouri • Sr • 6'6" / 262 lbs Projected Team San Francisco PROSPECT RNK 76th POSITION RNK 11th Young is somebody to dream on, and he strikes me as the type of player the 49ers tend to target at the position. Mock Trade from Houston Texans Round 1 - Pick 28 
Avieon Terrell CB Clemson • Jr • 5'11" / 180 lbs Projected Team N.Y. Jets PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 2nd After moving down in a swap with the Texans, the Jets are still able to address their secondary with Terrell. Getting Reese, Terrell, and a few extra picks makes for a great first night of the draft. From Los Angeles Rams Round 1 - Pick 29 
Chris Johnson CB San Diego State • Sr • 6'0" / 195 lbs Projected Team Kansas City PROSPECT RNK 27th POSITION RNK 5th This is somebody I'm higher on than the consensus. I like Johnson's size and length a lot and believe he has the potential to be a very good player in the NFL. In this mock, the Chiefs agree with me. Round 1 - Pick 30 
Colton Hood CB Tennessee • Soph • 6'0" / 195 lbs Projected Team Denver PROSPECT RNK 40th POSITION RNK 6th Considering Jeff Hafley's background as a defensive backs coach, it's hard for me to imagine the Dolphins don't use at least one of their two first-rounders on a defensive back. Round 1 - Pick 31 
Denzel Boston WR Washington • Jr • 6'4" / 210 lbs Projected Team New England PROSPECT RNK 37th POSITION RNK 6th REC 62 REYDS 881 YDS/REC 14.2 TDS 12 Everything should be about helping Drake Maye, and Boston (what a name for a Patriot!) is a big-bodied, sure-handed receiver who can get open downfield and also serves as a strong asset in the red zone. Round 1 - Pick 32 
Jadarian Price RB Notre Dame • Jr • 5'11" / 203 lbs Projected Team Seattle PROSPECT RNK 57th POSITION RNK 2nd RUYDS 674 YDS/ATT 6 REYDS 87 TDS 15 Running back is Seattle's biggest need, and by taking Price in the first round, the Seahawks can get the fifth year on him. That said, the Seahawks can do anything they want here, so I don't make this pick with an extremely high level of confidence. Join the Conversation comments 
